An Evening with Serial Entrepreneur and Innovator Tina Nova

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Dr. Tina Nova

The next installment of the UC San Diego series, Evening with an Entrepreneur, will feature scientist, inventor, serial entrepreneur, innovator, and long-time UC San Diego supporter, Dr. Tina Nova. Nova will sit down with Biocom’s Joe Panetta for an interview to discuss her unique entrepreneurial background and success in molecular diagnostics.

The free and public symposium-style talk will kickoff at 5 p.m. with a showcase of campus and community startups. Co-sponsoring the event is mystartupXX, a one-of-its-kind accelerator that was created to increase and encourage diversity in entrepreneurship, particularly to nurture the next generation of women entrepreneurs. The event will take place in Roth Auditorium at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. A networking reception will follow.

Nova is currently president and CEO of a newly formed molecular diagnostic company, Molecular Stethoscope, Inc. The company is focused on circulating cell-free RNA that can be utilized for the assessment of specific organ health and disease.

Most recently, she was the senior vice president and general manager of Illumina’s Oncology Business Unit. She co-founded Genoptix Medical Laboratory and served as director, president and CEO of the lab, which was purchased by Novartis Pharmaceuticals in 2011 for $470 million.

She is also the co-founder and has held senior technical and managerial positions at Nanogen, Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Hybritech over her thirty-year biotechnology career.

“This series is a great opportunity for the campus and community to learn from inspirational leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Paul Roben, associate vice chancellor for innovation and commercialization. “Each talk highlights the imagination, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit emblematic of San Diego that has made the region the innovation powerhouse that it is.”

The Evening with an Entrepreneur series kicked off April 4th, 2016 featuring Dr. Magda Marquet and interviewer, Carin Canale-Theakston of UC San Diego’s Moores Cancer Center. The series invites leaders in the entrepreneurial community to share their journey with the next generation of innovators at UC San Diego.

Recognized as one of the world’s top 15 research universities, UC San Diego is driving innovation and leadership, to advance society, propel economic growth, and make our world a better place. Over the last three years, the university’s innovation programs have supported more than 220 startup companies and teams, adding nearly 200 jobs to the economy. These companies have gone on to attract nearly $125 million in external funds. In total, more than 760 companies have been launched by or use technology developed by UC San Diego faculty, staff, students and alumni, contributing an estimated $32 billion to the local economy.